Myanmar contains Bagan, the ancient city famous for thousands of Buddhist temples.
Bagan lies on a plain beside the Irrawaddy River in central Myanmar. It was the capital of the Pagan Kingdom from the ninth to the thirteenth centuries. During that period, rulers and wealthy patrons sponsored a vast programme of Buddhist temple, stupa, and monastery construction.
More than 2,000 monuments remain in the Bagan Archaeological Zone, although the original number was considerably higher. The structures vary from small brick shrines to large temples with elaborate interiors, murals, and Buddha images. Their architecture reflects local traditions as well as influences from India, Sri Lanka, and other parts of Asia.
A major earthquake in 2016 damaged many monuments, prompting conservation work. Bagan was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2019. It is sometimes compared with Angkor, but Bagan is in Myanmar, while Angkor is in Cambodia; the two sites represent different kingdoms and architectural traditions.